The HEI Core Center for Hearing Research aims to support and facilitate research, foster collaborations and set new research directions in the following two areas: 1) engineering, and 2) imaging/morphology. Core B: Engineering - The Engineering Core will develop and maintain expertise in rapidly changing technologies to support new and innovative enabling technologies for scientific applications: digital signal processing (DSP), communication interfaces, and controllers. The Core will also interact with project-specific engineers to provide core hardware and software components in these areas for integration into research projects. Core C: Imaging and Morphology - aims to provide state-of-the-art, intravital imaging, morphology and microscopy services and training to HEI scientists. Such services include inspection and maintenance of all imaging equipment, image storage and analysis, morphometry and training. The addition of a histology technician will help towards the achievement of this objective. The addition of a full time confocal technician is particularly important since we are in the process of purchasing two new Laser Scanning Confocal microscopes with increased functionality to replace the one we originally purchased 10 years ago. The Core will perform inspection and maintenance of all imaging and tissue processing equipment. The Core will also encourage collaboration and dissemination of information about advances in the field of imaging.